M, Aug 27 |
Topic: About this course—An Intro to Contemporary Social Problems
No reading assignment |
W, Aug 29 |
Teaching Philosophy and A Brief Intro to Philosophy and its Topics
Reread course syllabus |
F, Aug 31 |
A Brief Intro to the Methods of Philosophy
Video (1.5 hours long)- “History of the World” |
M, Sep 3 |
Labor Day- No Class! |
W, Sep 5 |
Finish Intro to Philosophy Topics and Methods
Reading: none
. |
F, Sep 7 |
Politics, Irrationality, and Critical Thinking
Reading: Huemer, “Why People are Irrational about Politics.” P. 1-7
Short Video: http://deadgentlemen.com/2004/10/31/campaign-ad/ |
M, Sep 10 |
Politics and Irrationality Continued
Reading: Huemer, “Why People are Irrational about Politics.” P. 7-16
Video: Huemer and Examples of Irrationality
Suggested film: "Idiocracy" |
W, Sep 12 |
Finding Truth in the Age of Fake News: Critical Thinking and Logic
Reading: Haskins “Critical Thinking” |
F, Sep 14 |
Logic and Arguments Continued
Reading: Layman, “Logic, Ch.1”
Suggested humorous reading: Dave Barry “How to Win an Argument” |
M, Sep 17 |
Finish Logic and Argument Reconstruction
Reread: Layman, “Logic, Ch.1” |
W, Sep 19 |
Cultural Relativism
Reading: Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Suggested film: "Avatar" |
F, Sep 21 |
Finish Cultural Relativism and Objections
Reread: Rachels on Cultural Relativism
Suggested film: "Enemy Mine"
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M, Sep 24 |
Morality and Religion- Is God the Source of Moral Truth?
Reading: Shafer-Landau- "Does Ethical Objectivity Require God?"
Video (first 35min): William Lane Craig vs Louise Antony Debate
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W, Sep 26 |
Morality and Religion- continued
Reread: Shafer-Landau- "Does Ethical Objectivity Require God?"
Rewatch Video (first 35min): William Lane Craig vs Louise Antony Debate |
F, Sep 28 |
Utilitarianism
Reading: J.S. Mill- Utilitarianism (excerpt)
Video: “The Trolley Problem” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs0E69krO_Q
Suggested film: Cabin in the Woods or Watchmen |
M, Oct 1 |
Objections to Utilitarianism
Reading: Rachels, “The Debate over Utilitarianism ”
Suggested film: Sophie’s Choice or The Village |
W, Oct 3 |
Objections to Utilitarianism (continued)
Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
Reread: Rachels, “The Debate over Utilitarianism”
Suggested film: Ender’s Game |
F, Oct 5 |
Finish Utilitarianism & Objections
Reread Rachels, "The Debate over Utilitarianims"
Video: Sam Harris - What can science tell us about morality?
http://www.ted.com/talks/sam_harris_science_can_show_what_s_right.html |
M, Oct 8 |
Deontology: Duty and Rights
Reading: Onora O'Neill “A Simplified Account of Kant's Ethics” |
W, Oct 10 |
Deontology- continued
Reading: This is Philosophy, Deontology section (Pages 42-52 only) |
F, Oct 12 |
****MIDTERM EXAM**** |
M, Oct 15 |
Applied Topics
Gun Control- For Gun Control
Reading: Dixon, “Why We Should Ban Handguns...” |
W, Oct 17 |
Gun Control- Against Gun Control
Reading: Huemer, “Is There a Right to Own a Gun?”, §1-4
Look at: Recent Statisitic-Wikipedia Gun Violence in U.S. |
F, Oct 19 |
Gun Control- continued
Reading: Huemer, “Is There a Right to Own a Gun?”, §5-7
|
M, Oct 22 |
Important in-class day- Exams returned
No reading assigned |
W, Oct 24 |
Animal Ethics and Vegetarianism
Reading: Lowe: “Common Arguments for the Moral Acceptability of Eating Meat” |
F, Oct 26 |
Animal Ethics and Vegetarianism continued
Reading: Norcross “Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases” |
M, Oct 29 |
Abortion
Reading: Don Marquis, “Why Abortion Is Immoral.” |
W, Oct 31 |
Abortion continued
Reading: Judith Jarvis Thomson, “A Defense of Abortion”
|
F, Nov 2 |
Abortion- Discussion day
Reading: Is Abortion Candy?
****Homework Assigned**** |
M, Nov 5 |
****HOMEWORK DUE****
Poverty and World Hunger
Reading: Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality”
Video: Sobering Stats on Poverty
|
W, Nov 7 |
Poverty and World Hunger- Singer Continued
Re-read: Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality”
Foreign Aid Infographic
|
F, Nov 9 |
Poverty and World hunger- Responses to Singer
Required Video (short):Key and Peele “Save a Child"
Reading: REREAD Singer article |
M, Nov 12 |
Poverty and World hunger- Responses to Singer
REREAD Singer article
Article: Billionaires Could End World Poverty Easily |
W, Nov 14 |
Puzzle Day!
Reading: None |
F, Nov 16 |
Class and Office Hours Cancelled
|
M, Nov 19 |
Fall Break- no class |
W, Nov 21 |
Fall Break- no class |
F, Nov 23 |
Fall Break- no class |
M, Nov 26 |
Income Inequality, Distributive Justice, The Original Position and the Veil of Ignorance
Reading: Quick Overview of Rawls and Nozick on Distributive Justice
Rawls- A Theory of Justice (excerpt) |
W, Nov 28 |
Rawls and Egalitarianism continued
Ben Hale- The Veil of Opulence
Reread: Rawls- A Theory of Justice (excerpt)
Short video on Rawls
Quick look: current distribution of wealth |
F, Nov 30 |
Finish Rawls
Short video on Justice
|
M, Dec 3 |
Libertarianism- Distributive Justice revisited
Nozick-Anarchy, State, and Utopia (excerpt) |
W, Dec 5 |
Libertarianism continued
Article: The US is an Oligarchy
Suggested short article: Tax Havens for Big Companies |
F, Dec 7 |
Finish Nozick and Objections |
M, Dec 10 |
Civil Disobedience- When government fails…
Plato, “Crito”
Short Wikipedia article on Crito |
W, Dec 12 |
Civil Disobedience continued
MLK ,“Letter from the Birmingham Jail”
Optional: United Nations: “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”
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Final Exam on official day scheduled by Registrar’s office (Posted in your mycuinfo) |
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